It's Complicated

Bill Wall scores over 95% with the Jerome Gambit, which is fantastic given that the opening has several "refutations." He keeps trying different ideas, and continues to be successful with them, although I don't always know how. 

It's complicated.

Here's an example, with sidelines - many games starring members of the Jerome Gambit Gemeinde.

Wall,B - Guest6399506 
PlayChess.com, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8 6.d4

Bill skips the "normal" 6.Nxc6, deciding to sac another pawn. If I were to guess, it would be that he wanted another open line against the nervous Black King...

6...Nxd4 

Already a small payoff, as 6...Bxd4 was best: 7.Nxc6 dxc6 (7...Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qf6+ 9.Kg1 Qxc6 10.Qf3+ Qf6 11.Qe3 d6 12.Nc3 Ne7 13.Bd2 c6 14.Rf1 Bf5 15.exf5 Ke8 16.Ne4 Qxb2 17.Nxd6+ Kd7 18.Qe6+ Kd8 19.Nf7+ Ke8 Black resigned, soulman - ChessOpenings, FICS, 2010; or 7...bxc6 8.Qxd4 d6 9.0-0 Qf6 10.Qa4 Bd7 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Be3 Kf7 13.f4 Rhf8 14.e5 Qf5 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Rae1 Kg8 17.Bd4 c5 18.Qb3+ Be6 19.Rxe6 Black resigned, Petasluk - macabi, FICS, 2009) 8.Be3 (8.Qf3+ Bf6 9.e5 Qe7 10.0-0 Qxe5 11.Bf4 Qf5 12.Nc3 Be6 13.Rae1 Ne7 14.Ne4 Kf7 15.Nxf6 Qxf6 16.Rxe6 Qxe6 17.Bxc7+ Qf5 18.Qb3+ Qe6 19.Qxb7 Rhe8 20.f4 Kg8 21.Be5 Ng6 22.Qxg7 checkmate, stretto - Frankee, FICS, 2007) 8...c5 9.c3 Bf6 10.Bxc5+ Kf7;

Not as good is 6...Nxe5: 7.dxe5 Qh4 8.0-0 Qxe4 9.Nc3 Qxe5 10.Be3 (10.Re1 Qd4 11.Qf3+ Qf6 12.Qe2 Qe6 13.Ne4 d6 14.Bg5 h6 15.Qf3+ Qf7 16.Bf4 Nf6 17.Nxc5 dxc5 18.Rad1 Bg4 19.Qxb7 Re8 20.Rxe8+ Nxe8 21.Re1 Qxf4 22.Qxa7 Kf7 23.Qxc5 Qd6 24.Qc4+ Be6 25.Qe4 Nf6 26.Qf3 Re8 27.h3 Bd5 28.Qf5 Rxe1 checkmate, Petasluk - robertj, FICS, 2005) 10...Bxe3 11.fxe3+ Nf6 12.Qe2 d6 13.Rad1 Kg8 14.Qc4+ d5 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Rxd5 Qxe3+ 17.Kh1 Be6 18.h3 Rf8 19.Rxf8+ Kxf8 20.Qb4+ Ke8 21.Rd2 Rf8 22.Qd4 Rf1+ 23.Kh2 Qf4+ 24.Qxf4 Rxf4 25.Kg3 Rf6 26.Re2 Kd7 27.Rd2+ Kc8 28.Kh2 Bxa2 29.b3 Bb1 30.Kg3 Rc6 31.c4 Be4 32.Re2 Rg6+ 33.Kh2 Bd3 34.Rf2 Kd7 35.g4 a5 36.Rd2 Rd6 37.c5 Rd5 38.Kg3 Kc6 39.Kf4 Kxc5 40.Ke3 Bg6 41.Rxd5+ Kxd5 42.Kd2 Kc5 43.Kc3 b5 44.Kb2 a4 45.h4 axb3 46.Kxb3 b4 47.h5 Be4 48.Kb2 Kb5 49.g5 c5 50.h6 gxh6 51.gxh6 c4 52.Kc1 c3 53.Kd1 b3 54.Ke2 Kc4 55.Ke3 b2 56.Kxe4 b1Q+ 57.Ke5 Qe1+ 58.Kf6 Kd5 59.Kg7 Ke6 60.Kxh7 Qg1 61.Kh8 Kf6 62.Kh7 Qg6+ 63.Kh8 Qxh6+ 64.Kg8 Qg7 checkmate, frizerkaHR - CavallFort, FICS, 2012;

Or 6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Nxe5 8.dxe5 Bc5 9.0-0 Qh4 10.Be3 d6 11.Bxc5 dxc5 12.Qd5 Qe7 13.f4 Be6 14.Qxb7 Rd8 15.Qa6 Ke8 16.f5 Bxf5 17.exf5 Qxe5 18.Na3 Qe3+ 19.Kh1 Kf8 20.Rae1 Qd3 21.Qxa7 Nf6 22.Qxc7 Qd6 23.Qa5 h5 24.Nc4 Qd5 25.Ne5 Kg8 26.Ng6 Rh6 27.Ne7+ Kf7 28.Nxd5 Rxd5 29.Qc7+ Kg8 30.Re7 Ng4 31.Rxg7+ Kh8 32.Rxg4 hxg4 33.f6 Rxf6 34.Re1 Rdf5 35.h3 g3 36.Qxg3 Black resigned, jfhumphrey - mateushfa, FICS, 2011;

Or 6...Bd6 7.Nxc6 dxc6 8.e5 Be7 9.Qf3+ Ke8 10.Nc3 Bb4 11.Bd2 Be6 12.Ne4 Bxd2+ 13.Nxd2 Qxd4 14.0-0-0 Bxa2 15.Ne4 Bd5 16.Rxd4 a5 17.Rxd5 cxd5 18.Nc5 a4 19.Nxb7 Ra7 20.Qxd5 Ne7 21.Qd8+ Kf7 22.Qxh8 Rxb7 23.Qxh7 a3 24.bxa3 Ra7 25.Re1 Rxa3 26.e6+ Kf6 27.Qh4+ Kg6 28.Qg4+ Kh7 29.Qh4+ Kg6 30.Qxe7 Ra1+ 31.Kd2 Ra6 32.Qxc7 Kh7 33.e7 Ra8 34.Qd7 Black forfeited on time, stretto - eclipze, FICS, 2008. 

7.Be3

Or 7.0-0 d6 (7...Qf6 8.Nd3 Bb6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Nc3 Nh6 11.Nf4 Qc6 12.Qh5 Ndf5 13.g4 g6 14.Qg5 Nf7 15.Qf6 Qxf6 16.exf6 Ng5 17.gxf5 gxf5 18.Nh5 Rg8 19.Bxg5 Rxg5+ 20.Ng3 f4 21.Nce4 Rg8 22.Rae1 fxg3 23.hxg3 d5 24.Nc3 Bh3 25.Re7 Bxf1 26.Kxf1 h5 27.Ne2 h4 28.Kg2 hxg3 29.fxg3 c5 30.c3 Re8 31.Rxe8+ Kxe8 32.Nf4 d4 33.cxd4 cxd4 34.Nd3 Bd8 35.Kf3 Bxf6 36.g4 b5 37.Kf4 Rf8 38.Ke4 Bg5 39.Ne5 Rf4+ 40.Kd3 Bh6 41.Nc6 a6 42.Nxd4 Rxg4 43.Nb3 Rg3+ 44.Kc2 Rg2+ 45.Kc3 Bg7+ 46.Kb4 Rxb2 47.a3 a5+ 48.Kxb5 Rxb3+ 49.Kxa5 Rxa3+ 50.Kb4 Ra1 51.Kb5 Kd7 52.Kb4 Kc6 53.Kb3 Bd4 54.Kb4 Ra6 55.Kc4 Be5 56.Kb4 Bd6+ 57.Kc4 Ra4+ 58.Kd3 Kd5 59.Ke3 Bc5+ 60.Kd3 Rd4+ 61.Kc3 Rh4 62.Kd3 Bb4 63.Ke3 Kc4 64.Kf3 Kd3 65.Kg3 Be7 66.Kf3 Kd4 67.Kg3 Ke4 68.Kf2 Rh3 69.Kg2 Rf3 70.Kh2 Ke3 71.Kg2 Bd6 72.Kg1 Ke2 73.Kg2 Rg3+ 74.Kh2 Rf3+ 75.Kg2 Rg3+ 76.Kh2 Kf3 77.Kh1 Rh3+ 78.Kg1 Bc5+ White resigned, Petasluk - lefthookrightcross, FICS, 2006) 8.Nd3 Bb6 9.Be3 Ne6 10.Bxb6 axb6 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Nc5 14.Nf4 Qf6 15.Qd2 Kf7 16.Rae1 Rf8 17.Nh5 Qg6 18.Nf4 Qg5 19.Qe2 Qxf4 20.Qe7+ Kg8 21.g3 Qf7 22.Qh4 Qf6 23.Qb4 Bh3 24.Re6 Bxe6 25.dxe6 Qxe6 26.Re1 Qf6 27.Qc4+ Kh8 28.Qd5 Qxf2+ White resigned, stretto - psychotic, FICS, 2008;

Or 7.Qh5 Qf6 8.0-0 Ne7 9.Ng4 Qg6 10.Qxg6 Nxg6 11.e5 Ne2+ 12.Kh1 Nxc1 13.Rxc1 d6 14.h3 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Re1 Bd4 17.c3 Bxf2 18.Rxe5 h6 19.Re4 Kg8 20.Nd2 Bf5 21.Rf4 Be3 22.Rxf5 Bxd2 23.Rd1 Bg5 White resigned, stretto - Cochonouchka, FICS, 2007. 

7...Nxc2+ 

Going in for complications, but he would have done better to try 7...Ne6! 8.Qh5!? a)8.Qf3+ Qf6 (a)8...Nf6 9.Bxc5+ Nxc5 10.Ng4 Ncxe4 11.0-0 d5 12.Nxf6 Qxf6 13.Qa3+ Kf7 14.f3 Nd6 15.Nc3 c6 16.Rae1 Bd7 17.Re2 Rhe8 18.Rfe1 Rxe2 19.Rxe2 Nc4 20.Qb4 b6 21.Na4 Qd4+ 22.Kf1 Qd1+ 23.Re1 Qxc2 24.Qe7+ Kg6 25.Nc3 Re8 White forfeited on time, nyny - ferdyclemens, FICS, 2011) 9.Bxc5+ Nxc5 10.Qxf6+ Nxf6 11.f3 d6 12.Nd3 Ne6 13.0-0 Bd7 14.Nb4 Re8 15.Nc3 c6 16.Rad1 Ke7 17.e5 dxe5 18.Rfe1 a5 19.Nd3 Nd4 20.Rxe5+ Kf7 21.Rxa5 Nxc2 22.Ne5+ Kf8 23.Nxd7+ Nxd7 24.Rxd7 Ne3 25.Ne4 Nd1 26.Ra7 Re7 27.Ra8+ Kf7 28.Rxe7+ Kxe7 29.Rxh8 Nxb2 30.Rxh7 Kf7 31.Rh8 Nd3 32.Rb8 Black resigned, lebro - scain, FICS, 2014; b)8.Bxc5+ Nxc5 9.Qd5 (b)9.b4 Qf6 10.f4 Ne6 11.Ng4 Qxa1 12.0-0 Qd4+ 13.Kh1 Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Nxf4 15.Rf1 g5 16.h4 d6 17.hxg5 Bxg4 18.Rxf4+ Ke7 19.Rxg4 h5 20.gxh6 Rxh6+ 21.Kg1 Nf6 22.Rg7+ Ke6 23.Rxc7 Nxe4 24.Rxb7 Rah8 25.Kf1 Rh1+ 26.Ke2 Rxb1 27.Kd3 Ke5 28.Rxa7 Rh2 29.Re7+ Kd5 30.Rxe4 Rxg2 31.c4+ Kc6 32.b5+ Kc5 33.a4 Rb3 checkmate, drumme - VegasKnight, FICS, 2010) 9...Qe7 (b)9...Ne6 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.Qb3 d6 12.Nf3 Ke7 13.e5 dxe5 14.0-0 Re8 15.Nxe5 Kf8 16.Rad1 Qe7 17.Rde1 Nd4 18.Qc4 Ne6 19.Qb3 Kg8 20.Nf3 Qf7 21.Ng5 Nxg5 22.Rxe8+ Nxe8 23.Nd5 Be6 24.Qxb7 Bxd5 25.Qb4 Nd6 26.Qh4 Qg6 27.f3 Nxf3+ 28.Rxf3 Bxf3 29.Qg3 Qxg3 30.hxg3 Bc6 31.Kf2 Rb8 32.Ke3 Rxb2 33.Kd4 Rxc2 34.a4 Black forfeited on time, drumme - Hortonheat, FICS, 2012) 10.0-0 d6 11.Nc4 Qxe4 12.Qg5 Qxc4 13.Qd8+ Kf7 14.Qxc7+ Ne7 15.Nd2 Qxc2 16.Nf3 h6 17.Qxd6 Re8 18.Rac1 Qxb2 19.Qxc5 Be6 20.Ne5+ Kg8 21.Qd6 Qxa2 22.Ra1 Qd5 23.Qc7 Rac8 24.Qc3 Rxc3 25.Rad1 Qxe5 White resigned, drumme - Bicchi, FICS, 2013; c)8.0-0 Nf6 9.Ng4 Nxe4 10.Qd5 Nf6 11.Nxf6 Qxf6 12.Bxc5+ d6 13.Bxd6+ cxd6 14.Qxd6+ Kg8 15.Nc3 b6 16.Qc6 Rb8 17.Qd6 Rb7 18.Nd5 Qf8 19.Qc6 Rf7 20.Rae1 Nd4 21.Qa4 Ba6 22.Re8 Bxf1 23.Rxf8+ Rxf8 24.Kxf1 g6 25.Ne7+ Kg7 26.Qxd4+ Black forfeited on time, DragonTail - framontb, FICS, 2007; 8...Qe7 a)8...Qf6 9.Nxd7+ (a)9.Bxc5+ d6 (a)9...Nxc5 10.Nc3 Ne6 11.Nd5 Nf4 12.Qf3 Qxe5 13.Nxf4 Qxb2 14.Ne6+ Ke7 15.Qf8+ Kxe6 16.0-0 Qf6 17.Qe8+ Qe7 18.Qh5 Nf6 19.Qf5+ Kf7 20.e5 Rf8 21.exf6 Qxf6 22.Qxh7 d6 23.Rae1 Bf5 24.Qh5+ g6 25.Qh7+ Qg7 26.Qh4 Qf6 27.Qc4+ Kg7 28.Qxc7+ Rf7 29.Qc4 Rh8 30.Re3 b6 31.Rg3 Be6 32.Qe2 Re7 33.Qd3 Bf5 34.Qb3 Rc8 35.Rc3 Rxc3 White forfeited on time, sTpny - Straineryou, FICS, 2008) 10.Ba3 g6 11.Qf3 Qxf3 12.Nxf3 Kg7 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.0-0-0 Ng4 15.Rd2 Nf4 16.h3 Nf6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Nxe5 Be6 19.Be7 Rhe8 20.Bxf6+ Kxf6 21.Re1 Nxg2 22.Re3 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Kxe5 24.h4 Rad8 25.Rg2 Rf8 26.Rg5+ Rf5 27.b3 Rxg5 28.hxg5 Kf5 29.Nb5 c6 30.Nc7 Bf7 White resigned, Etto - ydkor, FICS, 2008; 9...Bxd7 10.Bxc5+ Ne7 11.Nc3 Nxc5 12.Qxc5 Qb6;
b)8...g6? 9.Nxg6+; 9.Nc3 c6 10.Ng6+ hxg6 11.Qxh8 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Ng5 13.Rf1+ Nf7 14.h4 Qe5 15.0-0-0 Qh5?! 16.Rxf7+ Kxf7 17.Rf1+ Nf6 18.Qxh5 gxh5 19.e5 d5 20.exf6 gxf6 21.e4 d4 22.Ne2 c5 23.e5 f5 24.Nf4 Be6 25.Nxh5 Rh8 26.g4 Kg6 27.Nf4+ Kf7 28.gxf5 Bxf5 29.h5 Re8 30.Nd3 Ke6 31.Nxc5+ Kd5 32.Rxf5 Kxc5 33.Rf7 Rxe5 34.h6 Rh5 35.h7 Kc6 36.Kd2 Rh3 37.Ke2 a5 38.Kf2 b5 39.Kg2 Rh5 40.Kg3 b4 41.Kg4 Rh2 42.Kg5 Black resigned, Wall, B. - Guest757851, PlayChess.com, 2014;
7...d6 8.Nd3 (8.Bxd4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Qg5 (9...Be6 10.Nf3 Qf6 11.Qb4 b6 12.Nc3 c5 13.Qa4 Ne7 14.Rd1 Bg4 15.e5 Qe6 16.Rxd6 Qf5 17.Rd3 g5 18.0-0 Kg7 19.h3 Bxh3 20.gxh3 Rhd8 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.Qxa7 Rd7 23.Qa4 Qxf3 24.Qxd7 Black resigns. 1-0 papernoose-RESULTS/Internet Chess Server: freech 2004 (24)) 10.Nf3 Qc1+ 11.Qd1 Qxd1+ 12.Kxd1 Nf6 13.Nc3 Bg4 14.Ke2 Re8 15.Kd3 Kf7 16.Ng5+ Kg6 17.f4 h6 18.Nf3 Re7 19.e5 dxe5 20.Nxe5+ Kh7 21.Nxg4 Nxg4 22.Nd5 Nf2+ 23.Kc3 Re2 24.Rhe1 Rhe8 25.Rxe2 Rxe2 26.Nxc7 Ne4+ 27.Kd3 Rxg2 28.Kxe4 Rxc2 29.Nb5 a6 30.Nc3 Rxb2 31.Rb1 Rxh2 32.Rxb7 Kg6 33.f5+ Kf6 34.Nd5+ Kg5 35.Rxg7+ Kh4 36.f6 Re2+ 37.Kf5 Re8 38.f7 Rf8 39.Nf4 a5 40.Rg4 checkmate, papernoose - ornito, FICS, 2004; 8...Qf6 9.Bxd4 Bxd4 10.c3 Bc5 11.Nxc5 dxc5 12.0-0 Qg5 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.h4 Qxh4 15.e5 Bg4 16.Qf4 Ke7 17.exf6+ gxf6 18.Qxc7+ Bd7 19.Re1+ Kf8 20.Qxd7 f5 21.Qxf5+ Kg7 22.Re7+ Qxe7 23.Nd2 Raf8 24.Qg4+ Kf6 25.Ne4+ Ke5 26.Re1 Kd5 27.c4+ Kc6 28.b4 Rhg8 29.b5+ Kb6 30.Qd1 Qg7 31.Qd6+ Ka5 32.Qd2+ Kb6 33.Ng3 a6 34.Re6+ Ka7 35.Qd5 Qa1+ 36.Kh2 axb5 37.Qxc5+ Kb8 38.Qxb5 Qxa2 39.Re7 Kc8 40.Qxb7+ Kd8 41.Qd7 checkmate, bartab - umbeebmu, FICS, 2011;

Or 7...Qf6 8.Bxd4 Bxd4 Black resigned, SCARNEY - LordByron, FICS, 2005.

Does Bill have all of those games in his copy of The Database? Of course he does. How many do you think he has played over?

8.Qxc2 Bxe3 9.fxe3 

Not 9.Qe2?, although White eventually got the point: 9...Bd4 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.Qa3+ c5 12.Nc3 Bxe5 13.Qxc5+ d6 14.Qe3 Qa5 15.0-0 Be6 16.Rad1 Rd8 17.Qf3 Kf7 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Rhe8 20.g4 Kg8 21.g5 Nxd5 22.Rxd5 Rf8 23.Qe4 Qxa2 24.g6 h6 25.Rb5 b6 26.Qd5+ Kh8 27.Qxa2 Rf6 28.Rd1 Rxg6+ 29.Kf1 Bxh2 30.Ke2 Re8+ 31.Kd2 Rc8 32.Rf5 a5 33.Qb1 Rd8 34.Rf8+ Rxf8 35.Qxg6 Bf4+ 36.Kc2 Be5 37.Kb3 Rf3+ 38.Ka4 Rxf2 39.Qe8+ Kh7 40.Rb1 Bxb2 41.Qe4+ Kh8 42.Qa8+ Kh7 43.Re1 Be5 44.Rxe5 dxe5 45.Qe4+ Kg8 46.Qxe5 Ra2+ 47.Kb5 Rb2+ 48.Ka6 Rb3 49.Qe6+ Kh7 50.Qxb3 h5 51.Qh3 Kh6 52.Kxb6 g5 53.Qe6+ Kg7 54.Qe5+ Kh6 55.Qf6+ Kh7 56.Qxg5 a4 57.Qxh5+ Kg7 58.Qa5 a3 59.Qxa3 Kg6 60.Kc6 Kg5 61.Kd6 Kf5 62.Qc5+ Ke4 63.Qe5+ Kd3 64.Kd5 Kd2 65.Kd4 Kc2 66.Qe2+ Kb3 67.Qc4+ Ka3 Black resigned,  Athenee - dorigprg, FICS, 2006. 

9...Nf6

Bill mentioned Black could have tried 9...Qh4+ 10.g3 Qe7. 

10.0-0 d6 11.Nd3 g6

White's development, and Black's iffy King, are more important than White's doubled and isolated pawns. Now Black allows a small combination.

12.Nc3 Kg7 13.Nb5 c6 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.e5 Qd7 16.exf6+ Kh6

 Bill notes: 16...Kf7? 17.Ne5+; or 16...Kf8 17.Qc5+; or 16...Kg8 17.f7+ Kf8 18.Qc3. 

17.Ne5 Qd5 18.Qc3 Re8 19.f7 Rf8 20.Rf4 Qd8 

Or, per Bill, 20...Kh5 21.g4+ Bxg4 22.e4 Qd8 23.Rxg4 Kh6 24.Nf3 Rxf7 25.Rh4+.

21.Nf3 Be6 22.g4 g5 23.Rf6+ Kg7 24.Rxe6+

Black resigned